Cocking mechanism for breakdown guns



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

F. W. WHITE, Jr. 0001mm MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

No. 532,931. Patented Jan. 22,1895.

wan as 0 ea (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. P. W. WHITE, Jr. GOGKING MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS. No. 532,931.

Patented Jan. 22, 1895.

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UNITED STATES ,ATENT FFICE;

FRANK W. WHITE, JR., OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

COOKING MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,931, dated January22,1 895.

Application filed June 18,1894. Serial No. 514 997l (No model.)

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK W. WHITE, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFirearms, which improvements are fully fet forth and described in thefollowing specification, reference being had to the accompanying twosheets of drawings.

This invention is in break-down, hammerless, guns and my immediateobject is to provide simple, strong, and effective mechanism forcontrolling the concealed hammers, both for cooking and firing the same,which mechanism, by reason of its peculiar action, aids rather thanhinders the breaking down of the barrels.

To explain my invention most clearly I have provided the annexeddrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the breech-frame of anarm embodying said invention, with a portion of the barrels hingedthereto, and Fig. 2 is a View of the same with the front wall of theframe partly broken away to expose the left hand hammer and itsconnected parts. Fig. 3 shows the same parts with the barrels swung opento reload and, by the same action, to cook the arm. In Fig. 4 I haveshown, detached, one of the hammers, its sear, and mainspring. Fig. 5 isa side view of a portion of the breech-frame and barrels, the framebeing broken away to expose the barrel lug and the slot therein whichcontrols the mainsprings. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the breech-frame.Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view on line x-sc of Fig. 5, and Fig.8isadetached View of the rear end portion of the barrels. In Fig. 9 isshown one of the mainspring rods and the thimble or collar that supportsits free end, said collar being in section.

In the drawings the letter 0, indicates the breech-frame and b thebarrels of a breakdown gun, said parts being formed, and hingedtogether,'substantially as in guns of this class, as ordinarilyconstructed.

Within the frame a are pivoted hammers a, one only being illustrated inthe drawings the said sears to throw the latter out of lockingengagement with the hammer notches. The frame a is formed (by drillingor otherwise) with chambers f leading forward from the re cesses inwhich the hammers are located to the end of the frame and in thechambers f are rods g whose rear ends are pivoted to the hammers at apoint below the stud or screw on which the hammers are hung. Each rod 9is formed with a fixed or integral flange 9 that forms an abutment forthe rear end of a stiff spiral spring h that is mounted upon said rodand serves as the mainspring of the arm. The front end of rod gisloosely supported in a thimble or collar 21 which forms the frontabutment of spring h and a screw is is tapped into the end of said rodto prevent the collar t' from being forced off the rod. This screw ismay also be adjusted to vary the tension of the main spring, asexplained hereinafter.

Collar t' is provided with a hub or boss 'i' that lies in a slot at inthe frame a, as best seen in Figs. 6 and 7, the slot 2'' beingsufficiently long to permit a considerable movement of the collar 2'.The two collars i, at opposite sides of the arm, are secured together bya screw m (see Fig. 7) and upon that portion of the screw that passesthrough the barrel lug b is mounted a roll m that lies in a diagonalslot b cut in said lug, the roll m serving to reduce friction when thebarrels are swung to open the arm.

In order to insert the screw m, when the parts are being assembled, one'of the collars t is drilled as at 2' and counterbored to provide a seatfor the screw-head and the hub of the other collar is drilled and tappedto receive the threaded end of said screw. The collars are insertedthrough openings in the breech frame, which openings are finally closedby sideplates a that are secured by the heads of screws a After thecollars have been thus introduced into the breech frame and securedtogether, the ends of the rods are passed through their respectivecollars and screws are inserted through the outer ends of thechambersfand screwed into the ends of the rods.

I have referred briefly to a diagonal barrellug slot 1) through whichthe screwmpasses. This slot is of such pitch that, when the barrels areclosed, said screw and the connected collars t', are forced toward therear of the arm, thus compressing the springs, as seen in Fig. 4, thelatter serving to force the hammers forward, to discharge the arm,whenever said hammers are released from the scars. When the arm has beenthus discharged and it becomes necessary to reload it, the barrels areswung on their pivotal support, as in Fig. 3, during which movement thediagonal slot 12 draws forward the screw m and the connected collars 2',thus also drawing forward the rods 9 which, being connected with thelower portions of the hammers, throw said hammers back to full cock,where they are held by the scars. As the barrels return to their normal,closed, position the collars 2' are slid upon the rods g, compressingthe mainsprings. The instant the barrels are unlocked the mainsprings,by their efforts to expand, cause the roll on to crowd against the frontwall of the diagonal slot and thus aid materially in swinging thebarrels open. The same operation removes all strain from the hammerswhich latter simply follow the movement of the rods 9 and are brought tofull cock without resistance. When the barrels are swung to their closedposition the moderate pitch of the diagonal slot 5 aided by theanti-frictional roll m, makes it an easy task to slide the collars v1rearward on the rods g and thus compress the mainsprings.

To permit the barrels to be readily disengaged from the breech frame Ihave cut through the lower end wall of the slot 19 as shown at b in Fig.8, the outlet thus provided being oifset from the longitudinal center ofsaid slot and being wide enough to release the anti-frictional roll mwhen the barrel hinge is disengaged. The outlet 19 being thus offsetpermits the barrels to swing a limited distance only and thus serves asa substantial and cheap barrel check.

By adjusting the screw 7t in the end of rod 9 the longitudinal movementof said rod may be correspondingly regulated and the tension of themainspring varied. The head of said screw is considerably larger thanthe bore of the collar 2'. When the arm is discharged and the hammersreturned to their closed positions, as in Fig. 2, the screw-heads abutthe front ends of the collars but the expansive tension of the springsis then nearly exhausted so that, when the barrels are unlocked andswung open, the collars immediately start the screws 1c and connectedrods forward to cook the hammers.

My described improvements are of such a character that they may bereadily and cheaply made and assembled.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In abreak-downgun, in combination, a breech-frame having a hammer recess and a chamberleading from the recess to the front end of the frame, and a slot and anopening communicating with the chamber, a hammer within the-recess; abarrel hinged to the front end of the frame having a slotted lug to therear of the hinge, a collar within the. chamber and provided with a bosswhich projects into and is movable within the slot of the frame, a rodthrough the collar, the rear end of which is provided with an abutmentand is pivotally secured to the hammer, a spring upon the rod, a screwin the end of the rod, a pin through the boss of the collar andprojecting into the slot in the lug of the barrel, and a side plate forclosing the opening in the side of the frame, substantially as setforth.

2. In a break-down gun, in combination, a breech-frame, a barrel hingedthereto having a diagonally slotted lug in the rear of its hinge as setforth, a hammer pivoted in said frame, a rod secured to the hammer belowthe pivotal point of the latter and having mounted thereon a spiralspring, a loosely fittinglongitudinally movable collar on the free endof said rod, an adjustable tension screw in the end of said rod, andconnections intermediate the said collarand diagonal lug-slot wherebythe opening of the barrel will serve to slide the collar and rod forwardand cook the hammer; all substantially as specified.

3. Abarrel check for break-down guns, consisting of a diagonally slottedbarrel lug, in the rear of the barrel hinge, the lower end wall of theslot in the lug being cut through and provided with an offset forlimiting the movement of the barrel and a pin extending through the saidlug-slot and movably located in a slot in the breech-frame,substantially as specified.

FRANK W. WHITE, JRL lVitnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, ALONZO W. LUTHER.

